American Graveyard, calls to end gun violence

Voiced by survivors of gun violence, outraged citizens, fearful parents, and advocates demanding change, American Graveyard is a powerful collection capturing the emotional toll of the senseless violence that plagues our nation. Passionate writers address heartbreak, injustice, righteous anger, horrific scenes played out too often, but throughout show us glimmers of hope and a call for a better America. Their words speak to a broken system and will not let us forget the names of the dead. American Graveyard is at once a reminder that we must do better and proof that words bind us together and will change the world.

GOD HELP US ALL!  Praying for the day when Creatives will not feel the need to band together against gun violence in America. May hearts, minds, souls be compelled to make concrete ethical steps against gun violence on every level. I commend the tenacity needed by each participant in this anthology. I applaud your courage in looking the enemy in the face as you wielded your pens in honor of the lost. Thank you for giving hope to all mankind along the way. GOD BLESS US ALL!

Love, ideas, and revolution are bulletproof, but people aren’t. American Graveyard confronts hateful and supremacist ideologies - weapons of mass destruction - that load the gun and pull the trigger that threaten our humanity. It’s a plea to value the right to life and a quality of life over the right to bear arms. It’s a reality check of how all the worst case scenarios have happened and will persist if we repeat history rather than remedy it. It’s a necessary exploration of what perpetuates evil, and a collective plea for true policy change. We implore policy makers to end the massacre and put our safety first — this can only be done by addressing and dismantling (all the layers of) systemic oppression and the harmful narratives that enable it, and creating a new infrastructure. Civil servants must serve and protect the people, and their inaction makes them complicit. Lawmakers, there is blood on your hands so take action YESTERDAY. Before the next round of bullets is fired.

American Graveyard has come together, because of the brave publisher Read or Green Books, because of sorrow, loss, grief, fear, and a call to end gun violence. I am humbled to have been asked to contribute to American Graveyard and would like to thank Marissa Prada, Read or Green Books, and all the writers, artists, and editors for the opportunity to bring awareness to our nation's plight of gun violence and a call to end it.

American Graveyard is a heroic book that puts to words, the grim reality of the gun violence that takes place in all parts of our communities, taking lives and affecting our children, brothers, sisters, parents, and grandparents. Our loved ones are gunned down, murdered, maimed, or forever emotionally wounded by the hand of the gun.

American Graveyard was written by a series of poets, from across the United States and around the world. Their words lay a foundation that helps build a platform to try to help us grieve, and attempt to understand what is happening because of gun violence, as we watch our loved ones murdered in front of us.  This is a time in US history, when we must come together in partisan support, to help end gun violence and hate. There is no simple solution to the problem: economic, racial, religious, educational, and mental health hurdles need to be addressed, and not swept under the rug. We are not OK!

The diversity of authentic voices and unique perspectives in this anthology magnify the poignancy of the message, a compelling call for action on a monumentally important subject. 

This collection of poetry is painfully beautiful, and requires time to sit with each piece and absorb the magnitude of the words and expressions of thought. It will make you think about how the future will judge what we did and what we did not have the fortitude to do.